A Buddha from Korea The Zen Teachings of T’aego

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Author : Taego Bou Translator : J. C. Cleary Publish : Shambhala

A Buddha from Korea is intended to open a window on Zen Buddhism in old Korea. The book centers on a translation of teachings of the great fourteenth-century Korean Zen adept known as T’aego, who was the leading representative of Zen in his own time and place. This is an account of Zen Buddhism direct from an authentic source.

Prior to this translation, not much was known in the English-speaking world about "Korean" Zen. J.C. Cleary’s introduction is useful and informative in revealing Zen as practiced in Old Korea--the first penetration of Zen from China across national boundaries (followed by its subsequent movement into Vietnam and then Japan)--and his introduction serves as a counterbalance to our unwitting orientalism of Zen by re-newing the words of T’aego, an authentic, historical voice for a vibrant and living practice. Cleary’s translation is rich in its insinuations and ultimately startling in its clarity. Here is a passage from "How to Study Zen": "The days and months go by like lightning: we should value the time. We pass from life to death in the time it takes to breathe in and breathe out: it’s hard to guarantee even a morning and an evening. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, do not waste even a minute of time. Become ever braver and bolder....Mind is the natural Buddha: why bother seeking elsewhere? Put down your myriad concerns and wake up." Here it is: instant Zen: you wake up.